Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 20 January 2000

Scottish Executive

Education

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the establishment of a Trade Union Learning Fund and whether it has any plans to make funding available to it.

Nicol Stephen: We have no plans to establish such a fund for Scotland, but trade unions have long made a valuable contribution to workplace learning in Scotland which we intend to build on. This has been helpful in the development of key lifelong learning initiatives such as the Scottish University for Industry. We shall meet the STUC to explore how trade unions in Scotland might provide further support for workplace learning.

Education

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for the future provision of music lessons in schools.

Peter Peacock: Pupils should experience music as part of the Expressive Arts component of the 5-14 curriculum. How music is provided within the curriculum is a matter for local authorities.

Employment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an estimate of the total local job losses in the Highlands and Islands both direct and indirect resulting from the downturn and redundancies in the fabrication yards at Nigg, Ardersier and Lewis Offshore.

Henry McLeish: On 4 October 1999, an audit of staff, commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, at Barmac’s Nigg and Ardersier yards showed that there were 4,254 staff on site of whom approximately 2,400 were employed by sub-contractors. Employment at Lewis Offshore has averaged about 250 over the last three years.

  Barmac has announced that it plans to retain around 400 staff for the time being. Lewis Offshore, which is currently in receivership, will be operated on a care and maintenance basis with a small number of staff. The audit estimates that these reductions will lead to the loss of approximately 770 jobs in supply businesses.

Employment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the measures presently being taken or which it intends to take to tackle levels of unemployment in the Local Enterprise Council areas of Inverness and Nairn, Ross and Cromarty and Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey are sufficient and, if not, what additional steps or measures it plans to take, and whether it will make a ministerial statement on this matter.

Henry McLeish: A comprehensive set of response measures is being put in place to place redundant employees in new jobs and assist with skills development, following the recently announced reduction in the workforce employed by Barmac.

  On-site information centres are being opened at both Ardersier and Nigg to provide easy-access, first-stop advice on employment, skills development and other issues for employees. A comprehensive information pack, giving advice, contact numbers etc, is being provided for on-site workers and for all those who have already left employment.

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise are setting up a database (HIE-OPS) of people affected by the rundown of the oil fabrication industry in the HIE area and are working with local labour placement specialists based in the Highlands and Islands to place as many individuals from the list as is practicable.

  HIE are also working with Barmac management to help identify opportunities for activity in the yards when confidence returns to the market, and are actively engaged in efforts to encourage new inward investment and employment to the area, and to diversify further the Highlands economy so that it can continue to compete vigorously in future markets.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2636 by Henry McLeish on 2 December 1999, whether it will seek from Scottish Enterprise the details relating to the points raised in that question and, if not, why not and whether it will state by what mechanism members should seek such information given its general responsibility for Scottish Enterprise.

Henry McLeish: As the funding and performance monitoring of Scotland the Brand is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I have asked the Chairman to write to the Member providing the information requested in his earlier question (S1W-2636). A copy of that reply will be placed in the Library. In terms of future requests for information pertaining to the enterprise networks, Ministers are happy to take questions. However, where these relate to operational matters it is more appropriate for the detailed information to be provided directly by Scottish Enterprise and/or Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2636 by Henry McLeish on 2 December 1999, given its general responsibility for Scottish Enterprise, whether it will provide details regarding the points raised in that question and, if not, why not and whether it will state by what mechanism members should seek such information.

Henry McLeish: As the funding and performance monitoring of Scotland the Brand is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I have asked the Chairman to write to the Member providing the information requested in his earlier question (S1W-2636). A copy of that reply will be placed in the Library. In terms of future requests for information pertaining to the enterprise networks, Ministers are happy to take questions. However, where these relate to operational matters it is more appropriate for the detailed information to be provided directly by Scottish Enterprise and/or Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its decision to abandon the common poundage across the UK in respect of non-domestic rates as from 1 April 2000.

Mr Jack McConnell: I announced on 8 December 1999 a provisional Scottish Unified Business Rate of 45.8p for 2000-01. I published the calculations underlying that rate on 17 January. I will announce a final decision in February.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the underspend in the overall Scottish budget has been in each year for which figures are available in 1998-99 prices, also expressed as a percentage of the overall budget, whether any of this underspend was passed back to Her Majesty’s Treasury in any year and if so, how much in each year.

Mr Jack McConnell: From the financial year 1993-94 the underspends of Voted expenditure are as follows, expressed in real terms.

  


£ million

  

1993-94

  

1994-95

  

1995-96

  

1996-97

  

1997-98

  



Underspend 

  

171

  

211

  

282

  

258

  

165

  



Of which reclaimed under End-Year 

  Flexibility

  

21

  

52

  

107

  

127

  

125

  



Net Underspend

  

150

  

159

  

175

  

131

  

40

  



Underspend as % total budget

  

1.22

  

1.44

  

1.84

  

1.80

  

1.22

  



Net Underspend as a % of total 

  budget

  

1.06

  

1.09

  

1.14

  

0.92

  

0.29

  



  The Chancellor announced last year that in future all underspends on Departmental Expenditure Limits would be reclaimable under End-Year Flexibility.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the first year for the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme will end and whether it expects the £3 million available under the scheme to be fully utilised.

Mr John Home Robertson: Mindful of where we are in the financial year, the intention is to make available £1 million in 1999-2000 and £4 million in each of the next two years. I envisage the funds being fully utilised.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that the European Commission will accept the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme, and when it expects the Commission to approve the scheme.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it applied to the European Commission for approval to implement the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme.

Mr John Home Robertson: My officials have had informal discussions with the European Commission and with the United Kingdom representative in Brussels (UKREP) on the proposal. There has also been liaison with Whitehall Departments. In the light of these discussions a finalised notification to the Commission was made on 23 December. We stand ready to meet the Commission and offer any further clarification as required.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what details are required by the Rural Affairs Department to assess eligibility for the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme and whether these details are the same for each local enterprise area.

Mr John Home Robertson: I refer the Member to the answer I gave to his question S1W-3002. The Department’s response is based on its own records.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether eligibility for assistance under the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme is being assessed by the Rural Affairs Department and how long the Department is taking to complete these assessments.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been received by the Rural Affairs Department under the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme since the Ministerial announcement on 6 September 1999, broken down by local enterprise company area.

Mr John Home Robertson: I refer the Member to the answer I gave to his question S1W-3002.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that, under the Anaemia re-start scheme, individual applicants will not have to provide matching funding, as stated by the Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs in his announcement to the salmon industry on 6 September 1999.

Mr John Home Robertson: As with all HIE Schemes, applicants will be expected to contribute. The balance of contribution will be determined by EU State Aid rules, the attractiveness of the project, and the amount of public sector support needed for the project to proceed. The effects of ISA will be relevant to the third of these considerations. My announcement made clear that the requirement for matching funding, through an industry-wide levy, envisaged in the earlier Government Scheme would not apply.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether smolt production hatcheries will be eligible under the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme.

Mr John Home Robertson: The purpose of the scheme is to help fish and shellfish farmers affected by ISA to become re-established at their previous level of trading. The concentration of aid at this end of the production cycle is seen as the best way of helping smolt and other suppliers to recover business lost through the disease controls. It is however open to such suppliers to seek assistance through other discretionary HIE programmes.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the infectious salmon anaemia re-start scheme, how many applications in each local enterprise company area received by the Rural Affairs Department are still held by the Department and have not been passed back to the local enterprise company.

Mr John Home Robertson: The scheme is being administered by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, from whom details of applications are available. As part of the process my Department has undertaken to offer a view on eligibility within 10 working days. Seven enquiries have been received and six passed back.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it had (a) the authority and (b) the necessary funds to introduce a safety improvement grant scheme for fishing vessels as from 1 July 1999 to replace the scheme ended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in May 1999.

Mr John Home Robertson: I refer Mr Lochhead to previous answers given to him on this matter (24 June and 3 November). It would have been inappropriate for the Scottish Executive to introduce a safety scheme while consideration was being given by the UK Government to re-instatement of the previous arrangements. Following confirmation in November 1999 that the UK Government will not re-introduce the UK-wide scheme, the Executive has acted promptly to propose Scottish measures.

  In any event, resources for the FIFG programme ending 31 December 1999 are fully committed in Scotland and would not have been available to support a safety scheme.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) the United Kingdom’s and (b) the EU’s fishing entitlement is allocated to Scottish registered and owned fishing vessels.

Mr John Home Robertson: Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for each Member State are set each year by the Council of Ministers. The figures for 1999 appear in the Official Journal of the European Commission , L13, volume 42, of 18 January 1999.

  TACs for the United Kingdom are allocated to Producer Organisations (POs) and other groups of fishermen, and POs are responsible for managing quotas on behalf of their members. Some vessels in Scottish POs are registered elsewhere in the UK, and some in other POs are registered in Scotland. Information on how POs manage quota during the year is not held centrally and therefore it is not possible to specify the proportion of TACs allocated to Scottish registered and owned vessels.

  However, landings of all species by Scottish registered vessels in 1998 amounted to 73% by weight and nearly 63% by value of landings by all UK vessels in that year. Further details are available in Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics, 1998.

Health

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines were issued to health boards before Christmas in relation to epidemics or winter emergencies.

Susan Deacon: Guidance was issued to all health boards on the importance of robust planning to manage emergency admissions, seasonal pressures and other peaks in demand. Guidance was also issued by the Chief Medical Officer in Scotland on the administration of flu and pneumonic vaccines to at-risk groups.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3177 by Susan Deacon on 23 December 1999, what steps, if any, the Executive intends to take to gather centrally statistics on the diagnosis of diseases such as asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and meningitis.

Susan Deacon: A number of steps are being taken to improve the central collection of data on disease diagnosis to assist national and local planning of health care, such as the establishment of a Scottish Diabetes Register.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will comment on the findings of Pell et al in Effect of socio-economic deprivation on waiting time for cardiac surgery, retrospective cohort study published in the January 2000 edition of the British Medical Journal.

Susan Deacon: The study suggests that patients with coronary heart disease in the most severe deprivation categories waited about three weeks longer for routine cardiac surgery than did patients in the most affluent category. The main reason quoted was that those in the most affluent category were more likely to be classified as urgent cases.

  One of our key aims in the Programme for Government is to eliminate inequalities of treatment. The Coronary Heart Disease Task Force has been investigating the management of patients on the cardiac surgery waiting list. It has devised a common referral letter and a standard approach to the categorisation of those patients, based on clinical factors. Implementation of these initiatives, together with the establishment of a national waiting time for this priority area, will help ensure that time the key determinant for priority of treatment is clinical need.

Health

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the predicted £10 million overspend by Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for hospital and community health services of £395.5 million to Tayside. My recent announcement of allocations for 2000-01 confirms that Tayside will receive a further 5% increase in its general allocation next year.

  I expect Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, like other NHS trusts, to manage effectively the resources it receives from Tayside and other Health Boards to provide health services.

  My officials are working with senior management of the Trust and Tayside Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible, while continuing to provide high quality care.

Health

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any research, and if so what, into how vitamins can be used to help alleviate the symptoms of motor neurone disease.

Susan Deacon: We are aware of 49 research projects on motor neurone disease (MND) which have been undertaken in the UK over the last seven years, some of which are ongoing. None of these consider vitamins as a possible alleviator of MND symptoms.

  Details of these studies are available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that it will meet in full the funding deficits currently experienced by the Glasgow Primary Care Trust, the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust. the South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust and the Yorkhill Trust.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for hospital and community health services of £791.5 million to Greater Glasgow, 4.25% more than last year’s general allocation. My recent announcement of allocations for 2000-01 confirms that Greater Glasgow will receive a further 5% increase in its general allocation next year.

  I expect all NHS Trusts, including those in Glasgow, to manage effectively the resources they receive from health boards to provide health services.

  My officials are working with the senior management of the Glasgow Trusts and Greater Glasgow Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible while continuing to provide high quality care.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact there will be on patient services and staff employment by the Glasgow Primary Care Trust, the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust, the South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust and the Yorkhill Trust if additional resources are not made available to meet the funding gap experienced by these Trusts this financial year.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for hospital and community health services of £791.5 million to Greater Glasgow, 4.25% more than last year’s general allocation. My recent announcement of allocations for 2000-01 confirms that Greater Glasgow will receive a further 5% increase in its general allocation next year.

  I expect all NHS Trusts, including those in Glasgow, to manage effectively the resources they receive from health boards to provide health services.

  My officials are working with the senior management of the Glasgow Trusts and Greater Glasgow Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible while continuing to provide high quality care.

  In preparing their plans I expect the Trusts to continue to provide high quality patient care and to take full account of their effects on staff.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why each of the Glasgow NHS Trusts are in financial deficit.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for hospital and community health services of £791.5 million to Greater Glasgow, 4.25% more than last year’s general allocation.

  The Glasgow NHS Trusts have informed the Scottish Executive that they face a wide range of financial pressures, like every NHS Trust in Scotland. I expect the Trusts to manage effectively the resources they receive from health boards to provide health services.

  My officials are working with the senior management of the Glasgow Trusts and Greater Glasgow Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible while continuing to provide high quality care.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that no cuts will be made to jobs and services and no patients will be adversely affected this winter and beyond in hospitals run by the Glasgow Primary Care Trust, the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust, the South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust and the Yorkhill Trust.

Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board, the North and South Acute Trusts, the Primary Care Trust and Yorkhill have been asked to draw up and agree financial plans which will minimise disruption to patient services and staff whilst achieving financial stability.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will grant emegency financial aid to the Grampian University Hospitals Trust, in the light of the Trust’s statement today indicating that it is currently underfunded and that it will not be able to fully fund the provision of services in the year 2000-01.

Susan Deacon: In the current financial year, the Scottish Executive has committed revenue funding for Hospital and Community Health Services of £392.78 million to Grampian, 4.25% more than last year’s general allocation. My recent announcement of allocations for 2000-01 confirms that Grampian will receive a further 5% increase in its general allocation next year.

  I expect Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, like other Trusts to manage effectively the resources it receives from Grampian and other health boards to provide health services.

  My officials are working with senior management in the Trust and Grampian Health Board to ensure that financial balance is achieved as soon as possible while continuing to provide high quality care.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of breast screening appointments constituted self referrals by women over the age of 64 in each year since 1994, broken down by health board area.

Susan Deacon: The percentage of breast screening appointments that constituted self or GP referrals of women over the age of 64 in each year since 1993-94 was as follows:

  


Health Board1


1993-942


1994-95

  

1995-96

  

1996-97

  

1997-98

  



Argyll and Clyde

  

0.3

  

1.6

  

2.4

  

2.6

  

5.1

  



Ayrshire and Arran

  

1.0

  

1.3

  

1.9

  

2.9

  

3.3

  



Borders3


2.6

  

-

  

-

  

6.5

  

-

  



Dumfries and Galloway

  

0.0

  

1.2

  

1.3

  

2.2

  

2.9

  



Fife

  

1.7

  

1.7

  

3.2

  

5.3

  

4.4

  



Forth Valley

  

0.0

  

1.7

  

2.0

  

3.9

  

5.3

  



Greater Glasgow

  

0.3

  

0.8

  

2.2

  

3.0

  

3.5

  



Grampian

  

0.7

  

1.3

  

1.7

  

3.0

  

4.2

  



Highland

  

0.0

  

1.6

  

2.2

  

2.9

  

4.9

  



Lanarkshire

  

0.0

  

0.8

  

1.3

  

2.7

  

3.2

  



Lothian

  

0.9

  

1.1

  

2.6

  

3.5

  

4.1

  



Orkney3


-

  

2.9

  

-

  

-

  

7.8

  



Shetland3


-

  

-

  

4.1

  

-

  

-

  



Tayside

  

0.5

  

1.0

  

2.0

  

2.2

  

3.6

  



Western Isles3


0.0

  

-

  

-

  

3.2

  

-

  



SCOTLAND

  

0.7

  

1.2

  

2.1

  

3.2

  

4.1

  



  Notes:

  1. Self/GP referral appointments include appointments whereby the GP has referred the woman and where the woman has referred herself.

  2. Data are presented by financial year (1 April to 31 March).

  3. All SBSP screening centres cover more than one health board and, in some cases, have joint responsibility for screening a health board. To achieve the most efficient use of resources, particularly when screening is by mobile units, health boards are not necessarily screened evenly throughout the three year period. Owing to the arrangements made for screening in certain remote and rural areas, including the use of mobile screening units, it is not possible to provide data on an annual basis. Data is available for only one year out of every three.

Homelessness

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to ensure that an accurate record of the number of people who are homeless in Scotland is maintained.

Mr Frank McAveety: Local authorities are already required to provide the Scottish Executive with statistics on applications under the homelessness legislation. The Homelessness Task Force is currently considering how the collection of this data can be improved and over what timescale any required changes could take place.

Local Government

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussion it has held with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities relating to local government boundaries.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive has had no recent discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on local government boundaries.

Local Government

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money each local authority in Scotland requires to bring the physical condition of all their school buildings up to an acceptable standard.

Peter Peacock: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

Police

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce an independent system for dealing with complaints against the police.

Mr Jim Wallace: Criminal complaints against the police are independently investigated by the procurator fiscal. Police authorities and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have important roles to play in providing independent oversight of the complaints system. In addition, the Scottish Executive has accepted the recommendation of the Macpherson Report to consider what steps can and should be taken to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated. The Inspectorate is now carrying out a thematic inspection on the way complaints are handled, which is due to report next April. The Executive will then consider the way forward for police complaints in Scotland.

Post Offices

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional measures, within its own area of competence, it will put in place to ensure the continuance of the current substantial network of rural Post Offices.

Henry McLeish: The Post Office, post and regulation of postal services are reserved matters but the Scottish Executive will continue to ensure that the UK Government is aware of the particular needs of communities in Scotland.

Post Offices

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Benefits Agency and the Post Office about the consequences which the introduction of a system of payment of pensions and other benefits by automated bank transfer could have on the viability of rural sub-post offices in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government across a range of issues, including those relating to the Post Office. The UK Government has indicated its commitment to maintaining a network of post offices throughout the country. The UK Government has also indicated that all benefit recipients who wish to collect their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so.

Public Appointments

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Executive will take to address the under representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities in public appointments.

Donald Dewar: The Executive is committed to making public appointments in Scotland more representative of Scottish society as a whole.

  That is why the forthcoming consultation exercise on modernising the public appointments system, announced by Mr Jack McConnell last month, will explore what more can be done to encourage women, disabled people and people from ethnic minorities to apply for public appointments.

  The consultation paper will also seek views as to whether the targets inherited from the Scottish Office for achieving greater representation of women and ethnic minorities in public appointments are relevant.

  In the meantime, the recently formed Equality Unit is working closely with the Public Appointments Unit to take forward work on gender, race and disability to ensure that equal opportunities is an integral part of the appointments process.

Rural Affairs

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in response to concerns expressed by farmers at their recent rally in Edinburgh and through the Scottish National Farmers’ Union’s Petitions for Action.

Ross Finnie: I have already discussed the Petitions with the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland. They are aware that it is difficult to resolve some of the matters highlighted, but I have undertaken to look seriously at the issues and, where appropriate, also to raise the issues with my Ministerial counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Rural Affairs

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of civil servants in its Rural Affairs Department and, if so, by how many.

Ross Finnie: There is likely to be a small increase in the Department’s staff over the next 12 months, mainly to handle the more complex support regime being introduced by the European Union under Agenda 2000, but the precise numbers involved are not yet clear.

Sport

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport last met representatives of the Scottish Rugby Union and what issues were discussed.

Rhona Brankin: I refer Mr Monteith to the answer I gave him on Tuesday 7 December 1999.

Student Finance

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Cubie report.

Henry McLeish: The Executive is currently considering the Cubie report and should be in a position to make a statement to Parliament shortly.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish alternative route plans through Rutherglen and Cambuslang, given the current level of traffic congestion on their main thoroughfares and the decision not to proceed with the M74 Northern Extension at this stage.

Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for traffic management on local roads and for local road traffic reduction measures rests with the relevant local authority.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following publication of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment report, it will issue guidance to local enterprise companies and local authorities on how to assess potential local economic benefits from potential trunk road improvements.

Sarah Boyack: In the light of the SACTRA report, officials are considering how local economic impact assessments could be improved. The Executive is currently developing guidance to assist with the multi-modal corridor studies which I announced following the Strategic Roads Review, and this will include advice on how to treat local economic impacts. We will work with local authorities and other interested parties to ensure that the guidance is equally useful to them. It is anticipated that a first draft of the guidance will be produced in mid-2000, and a consultation period will follow.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has safeguarded the routes of each of the of the proposed M8 Baillieston-Newhouse (both options), M80 Stepps-Haggs, M74 northern extension, A8000, A876 Kincardine Bridge, A68 Dalkeith Bypass, A90 Balmedie to Tipperty and A985 Rosyth Bypass in the relevant structure and local plans.

Sarah Boyack: It is for local councils, as planning authorities, to consider whether a particular route should be safeguarded in the structure and local plan for the area. In doing so they should have regard to all material considerations, including guidance contained in National Planning Policy Guidelines .

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue guidance equivalent to Guidance on Airport Transport Forums and Airport Surface Access Strategies issued by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and, if so, when.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish guidance on Airport Transport Forums and Airport Surface Access Strategies will be produced this year following consideration of the findings of the Scottish Airports and Air Services Study.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or intends to make to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency regarding the legality of the use of the term SCO on vehicle registrations in Scotland and what response it has received to any such representations.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has made no representations regarding the legality of the use of the term SCO on vehicle registrations in Scotland and has no plans to do so.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-3275 by Sir David Steel on 27 December 1999, to specify the percentage and amount of materials from the Holyrood site retained for possible future use and the percentage and amount of materials from the site that have been otherwise disposed of.

Sir David Steel: Following demolition of the old Scottish & Newcastle buildings on the Holyrood site 390 pallets of stone were retained for possible use in the construction of the new Scottish Parliament building. This stone will be quantified and quality tested before use. All other materials were removed from the site by the demolition contractor, who had responsibility for its disposal. Amounts or percentage comparisons are not known.

Video Conferencing

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what use has been made of the video conferencing facilities in Parliament buildings to date.

Sir David Steel: Video conferencing facilities at the Parliament have been used by Members and staff to connect to a number of academic establishments, to Scottish Executive sites, and as part of an international link-up in conjunction with the United Nations AIDS conference held last year.

  The Parliament’s Education Service also used the facility on the 22 June 1999 for a "video surgery" between the Deputy First Minister and a group of pupils from Kirkwall Grammar School, Orkney. The Education Service hopes to develop this aspect of its work in the future, particularly with remote schools.

  Video conferencing facilities were recently used by the Member and South of Scotland Members for a public meeting from the Parliament Headquarters to Langholm, Dumfriesshire.

Video Conferencing

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what steps the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has taken to promote the use of the video conferencing facilities in the Parliament buildings.

Sir David Steel: Promotion of video conferencing facilities has been limited. We plan to address this in the near future and could use global e-mails plus possibly enlist the help of WHISP.

  A paper to the Convener Liaison Group in December 1999 proposed greater use of video conferencing and other ICT facilities in committee work, and this is being taken forward through discussions with conveners.

Video Conferencing

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has commissioned any study into the comparative costs of travel by members to meetings and use of video conferencing facilities.

Sir David Steel: No, but the SPCB is keen to ensure the most efficient and effective use of available resources and would encourage members always to consider use of video conferencing facilities as an alternative to travel. Parliament staff will shortly issue further guidance on use of the Parliament’s own facilities.